Rachel Reeves boosts housing plan with £600m to train brickies, engineers and sparkies

The cash will pay for 60,000 skilled construction workers to be trained - helping to fill shortfalls in the construction sector, which has 35,000 unfilled vacancies

Rachel Reeves today announces £600 million in new funding to train brickies, engineers, sparkies and chippies to build the homes Britain desperately needs.

The cash will pay for 60,000 skilled construction workers to be trained - helping to fill shortfalls in the construction sector.

Latest figures show there are more than 35,000 vacancies - with employers reporting more than half can’t be filled due to a lack of required skills.

The Chancellor said the boost would be crucial in delivering Labour ’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes by 2029.

“None of this is possible without the engineers, brickies, sparkies, and chippies to actually get the work done, which we are facing a massive shortage of.

“We’ve overhauled the planning system that is holding this country back, now we are gripping the lack of skilled construction workers.”

The announcement includes £100m to fund 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges and £165m of new funding to help colleges deliver more construction courses.

Another £100m will pay for the expansion of skills bootcamps in the construction sector.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “We are being held back by the largescale skills shortages in the construction sector which is a major barrier to the delivery of the growth mission.

“These measures will break down barriers to opportunity for thousands of young people, helping them to thrive in – and build – their local communities.”